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Originally published in Issue 4 / 2017 of Specialist Printing Worldwide, Ford Bowers reports on the SGIA’s survey on branding and messaging

As many businesses do, SGIA has launched a study on branding and messaging to better serve the communities represented in our Association. We surveyed more than 1,200 member and non-member printers across different print segments including commercial, packaging, graphics and sign, garment/apparel, and industrial. The results, as they concern the Association, are still being compiled, but there were some industry insights that are worth sharing now. Overall the survey respondents had a great deal of optimism about their company prospects, with nine out of 10 answering that they expected their business to grow over the next five years. That said, they also reported a host of challenges they face in three broad areas: keeping up with the pace of change in technology and product types (such as media, inks, etc.); human resource issues (hiring qualified employees, employee retention and attracting millennials); and increased competition (lower barriers to entry with digital production, industry consolidation and online printers).

There is, today, an infectious fungus spreading throughout most screen-printing shops. At first look it is only visible in the immediate area around the press where it takes on the form of a soft furry coating, infiltrating every nook and cranny of your press. Before long, it has spread to the dryer and then very quickly makes its way onto the walls and floors, infecting the light fixtures and ceiling on the way. What is this strange ‘Star Trekian’ creature that is overtaking your ship, I mean shop? Is it fall-out from some secret government weapons test, or is it something closer to home?

Originally published in Issue 3 / 2017 of Specialist Printing Worldwide, Gabriele Heller discusses the consequences of the RAC’s recently published recommendation on the classification of titanium dioxide

The following article originally appeared in Issue 1 / 2017 of Specialist Printing Worldwide. For more details on Sophie Matthews-Paul, visit her website at: www.mrs-inkjet.com

Typically, as we move into each New Year, across our industry most of us have a tendency to review events of the previous twelve months and assess where we are heading in the future. Unlike the situation a decade ago, of course, we are far less likely to be reeling from the surprise of a new and unexpected technology hitting the streets. But, while part of the reason for this is that we are all becoming accustomed to innovation and onward developments, we are now far more accepting of the products being introduced worldwide by manufacturers. Some of these might simply be extensions to existing ideas that are already in use; others lean more towards creativity that can be applied within the functional segments of print and are the results of the blend of the known and proven with new elements that are still in their infancy.